CSX honors Gannett Fleming's El-Aassar

Ahmed El-Aassar, Ph.D., INCE, ASA, a vice president with Environmental Acoustics, Inc., an affiliate firm of Gannett Fleming specializing in noise and air quality, has been recognized by CSX Transportation with an Outstanding Service Award in the Environmental Services Category. Based in the firm's Lemoyne, Pa., office, El-Aassar serves as a project manager for noise and air quality projects.

With more than 13 years of experience, El-Aassar develops and implements all phases of acoustical analyses, including noise monitoring, impact and mitigation analyses and noise barrier design for highway and transit and rail projects. El-Aassar also designed the audio-visual tool Sounds of Transit for use during public involvement meetings. Sounds of Transit earned a National Recognition Award in the American Council of Engineering Companies' 2011 Engineering Excellence Awards competition. Additionally, this tool was named as one of Mass Transit magazine's top technology innovations of 2011.

In 2011, El-Aassar worked with CSX Transportation to provide a customized version of Sounds of Transit. Through this tool, public meeting attendees were able to hear actual sound samples related to the possible impact of a proposed high-profile intermodal center in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. At the February 2012 CSX Transportation Public Safety and Environment Conference, El-Aassar received the award.